In a typical rolling mill operation in the steel industry, it is frequently necessary to divide long pieces of rod or bar product into smaller lengths, and to pass these lengths to one or a plurality of disposal or process arrangements. As an example, long lengths of bar stock would typically be severed into a plurality of shorter lengths. Round (rod) stock could also be severed, depending upon its diameter, prior to coiling or delivery to a cooling bed.
The shearing of long lengths of rod or bar stock into shorter lengths represents one aspect of the shearing process. However, it is also necessary from time to time to take tail, nose and mid-bar samples from these products, and it is almost always necessary to remove a short piece at the nose and tail end of the full length product due to the fact that the end portions tend to be off-spec in terms of cross-sectional dimensions.
The prior art does not contain a fully versatile switching mechanism capable of differentially switching the various samples, trim pieces and main lengths of the product (for coiling or cooling bed). The following is a list of prior patents of interest:
Kinnicutt et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,109,340, issued Nov. 5, 1963; PA0 Kinnicutt et al. U.S. Pat. 3,258,951, issued July 5, 1966; PA0 U.K. patent 1,302,503, Moeller & Neuman GmbH, published Jan. 10, 1973; PA0 DD 112,914, issued Oct. 20, 1976 to Kurbis.